Confessions
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol gets into trouble and get help from an unlikely source.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Confessions**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **The Rat Patrol had been doing recon on a German base. They'd spent two nights within those walls, mapping the details and locations of headquarters, supplies, motor pool, weaponry, and ammo. Before they'd gone in the first night they had watched the Germans comings and goings, guard placements, everything they could.**

 **However, on the second night, they'd been caught. Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were placed together in one small cell with two cots, no blankets, and one canteen that was filled once a day when they were given their only meal of the day of stale bread and moldy cheese.**

 **Over the next few days they had each been taken to be questioned by the base commander, Colonel Lehmann. Each had sustained bruises when the colonel's questions went unanswered.**

 **On day four Colonel Lehmann decided to take a different approach and told his second in command, "Captain Fuchs, bring me Sergeant Troy and one of the privates."**

 **The captain took three guards with him and went downstairs to where the cells were. He stood before the door, looking in at the battered Allies. When the door was unlocked and opened, Fuchs said, "The colonel wishes to see you again, Sergeant Troy." He looked at the other three and his eyes stopped on Tully. "You will come as well."**

 **Troy and Tully were escorted to Colonel Lehmann's office. Troy was pushed down onto a wooden chair and his hands were cuffed behind him.**

 **Lehmann then smiled at Tully as he indicated the chair behind the desk—the one the colonel normally occupied. "Have a seat, private."**

 **Tully shook his head. "No thanks. I'd just as soon stand."**

 **Colonel Lehmann nodded to one of the guards, who grabbed Tully by the arm and forced him into the chair. Then the colonel said, "Do you speak any German, private?"**

 **Tully answered quietly, "Ein bisschen."**

" **Good, can you read the document that is on the desk in front of you?"**

 **Tully looked at the piece of paper, then back at the colonel with a hateful look. Troy looked from Lehmann to Tully and asked, "What's it say?"**

 **Tully looked at Troy. "I can't read all of it, but it's a confession…"**

 **Colonel Lehmann said, "Yes, a confession stating that the Allied forces have committed atrocities against the people of Germany." Both Americans looked up at the colonel as he continued, "If you will agree to it and sign it, I will consider letting the four of you go free."**

 **Tully asked, "And if I don't…"**

" **Your sergeant will pay the price." Lehmann nodded to one of the guards and said, "Bringen Sie die Zange." Tully watched as the guard picked up a set of pliers and walked over to stand behind Troy. "He has ten fingers. How many times can you say no?" Tully looked at the sergeant with wide-eyed horror and the colonel said, "Now, pick up the pen and sign the document."**

 **Tully didn't look away from Troy as he simply said, "No."**

 **The guard gripped the nail of Troy's right index finger with the pliers and yanked. Troy gasped with pain and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, he saw Tully staring at the desktop.**

 **Colonel Lehmann said, "How long will you allow this to go on, private?" Tully didn't answer. "Again, all you have to do is put your signature at the bottom of the page."**

 **Troy subtly shook his head at his private. Tully looked up at Lehmann and said evenly, "I can't do that, colonel."**

 **With a nod from Colonel Lehmann a second fingernail was extracted. Troy made no sound as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut. As the pain throbbed through his hand, sweat began to bead on his face. Troy heard the colonel say, "That's right, private. It is best this way."**

 **Troy's eyes snapped open to see the pen in Tully's hand. "Don't do it. We're not confessing to anything." Anguish showed in Tully's eyes as he looked at his sergeant. He opened his mouth to say something, but Troy interrupted with, "Put the pen down, Tully. That's an order."**

 **Another nod, another fingernail. This time Troy ground his teeth together, but managed to keep his eyes open and on Tully. The private took a deep breath and looked up at Colonel Lehmann. With fire in his eyes, Tully snapped the fountain pen in half, dropped it on the desk, and let the ink spill out over the document in front of him.**

 **With a dramatic sigh Colonel Lehmann turned to Captain Fuchs. "Take them back to the cell. We will continue with this later."**

 **#################**

 **Moffitt had to tear his ascot up to make bandages for Troy's bleeding fingers when Captain Fuchs refused the request of a medical kit. Shaky and in pain, Troy lay down to try and rest.**

 **When he was finished with Troy, Moffitt turned to look at Tully, who was sitting on the floor against the far wall with Hitch at his side, he asked, "Are you all right?" Tully nodded, looking as if he were a bit in shock. "Can you tell us what happened?"**

" **They pulled his fingernails out."**

" **We can see that, Tully. Can you tell us why?"**

 **Tully thought for second, remembering what happened. "Colonel Lehmann wanted me to sign a confession."**

 **Hitch frowned as he sat next to his friend. "What kind of confession?"**

" **It was in German. I couldn't read all of it, but if I'd signed it I would be saying that the Allies committed 'atrocities' against the Germans. Every time I refused one of Troy's fingernails got ripped off."**

 **Moffitt said, "The colonel talks about atrocities committed by others and look what he does."**

 **Tully said, "After the second one … I actually picked up the pen. Troy ordered me to put it down. The guard pulled off another fingernail and I lost it a little. I snapped the pen in half and dropped it on the desk. If they try again, they'll have to type up a new copy."**

 **Hitch asked quietly, "Would you have signed it if Troy hadn't ordered you to stop?"**

 **Tully shrugged. "I don't think so. I wanted the torture to stop … but I…"**

 **Troy's quiet voice said, "You did the right thing, Tully. I know I didn't need to make it an order. I just wanted the colonel to know where we stand."**

" **You know he's going to try something again to get us to talk. Next time it may be Moffitt and Hitch."**

" **We'll be out of here before then."**

 **Moffitt questioned, "We've been in here for four days. What makes you think we're going to get out any time soon?"**

 **Troy said, "When Tully and I were being brought back here, a little bird whispered in my ear."**

" **A little bird?"**

" **Apparently he wants to fly the coop."**

 **Hitch asked, "When is this gonna happen, sarge."**

 **Troy replied, "Sometime tonight."**

 **#################**

 **As usual, they did little more than doze throughout the night. The lights were never turned out, never giving the prisoners a chance to relax. Heavy booted feet walked by regularly and there was always at least one set of glaring eyes watching the German guard as he passed their cell.**

 **The night turned into early morning. Hitch heard the guard coming on his rounds, but then the sound stopped unexpectedly. He opened his eyes as keys rattled in the lock. He nudged Tully awake and they stood up as Troy and Moffitt rose from the cots.**

 **As the door opened, a young German said, "Sorry I could not get here sooner. I had to wait for a changing of the guard so as not to raise suspicion."**

 **Troy said, "How are we getting out of here?"**

" **You are my prisoners. I am your escort. Turn around." Troy looked at Moffitt as the German produced a set of handcuffs. "Do not worry. They will be placed loosely. You will be able to escape them easily."**

 **Sure enough, the cuffs that were placed on the prisoners wrists were loose enough to allow them to slip off when the time came. Before they were escorted out, Moffitt asked, "What's your name?"**

" **Private Abel Schulze."**

 **Assuming that the guard was taking the prisoners to be interrogated, no one questioned it as they silently moved through the hallways.**

 **As soon as the coast was clear, Schulze led them to a side door and outside. The handcuffs were dropped and guns were passed out from where Schulze had hidden them earlier.**

 **Troy primed the machine gun and whispered, "We need to get to our jeeps."**

 **Schulze shook his head. "That is not possible. They have been permanently disabled." At the look on Troy's face, he continued, "But I have transportation waiting."**

 **As Private Abel Schulze led the way across the base, early morning light could be seen creeping over the walls. Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were constantly on guard in case this escape went south. They were putting a lot of trust in this German that they weren't being led into some kind of trap.**

 **Finally, they reached their destination in a back alley. They uncovered the hidden halftrack and piled in as Schulze said, "Stay down out of sight until we are through the gate."**

 **Schulze climbed in behind the wheel, started the engine, and pulled out of the alley. He drove calmly and slowly in the direction of the gate. No one gave the halftrack and its German driver a second look.**

 **However, when they were just about half way to freedom, the alarms began to sound. Schulze pulled over and stopped. "Someone's discovered you're missing."**

 **Troy said from behind him, "Keep going."**

" **The moment the alarms went off the gate would have been closed."**

" **Doesn't matter. You just get us out of here." Schulze nodded and again headed off, only this time he drove faster. Troy turned to Tully and said, "Get ready to man that 30 caliber gun."**

 **Moffitt produced a bag of grenades with a smile. "Will these help?"**

 **Troy nodded with a grin as he picked up a machine gun. "You and Hitch use those."**

" **Perhaps it would be better if you and I take care of these while Hitch uses the machine gun."**

 **Troy looked at the bandaged fingers on his right hand and nodded. "Okay, let's get ready."**

 **Schulze said, "People are getting suspicious! They're trying to get me to stop!"**

" **Just keep going! We're going through that gate whether it's open or not!"**

 **Bullets began to ricochet off the sides of the halftrack. That's when Tully stood up and began to fire the 30. Then Troy and Moffitt started tossing grenades from either side, and Hitch used the machine gun to fend off the Germans who tried to get close enough to board the halftrack.**

 **Then the gate came into view. There were Germans lined up, shoulder to shoulder, weapons aimed at the speeding vehicle. Schulze reached up to pull the metal shield down across the windscreen and shouted, "Everyone get down!"**

 **The men that weren't quick enough or smart enough to jump out of the way were crushed under the halftrack's tires as the vehicle barreled through the gate sending smashed wood flying like shrapnel. As they sped off into the desert, they saw several other halftracks begin to follow.**

 **Troy watched as the German vehicles began to close in. "Tully! Take the wheel!" Without slowing down Schulze gratefully switched places with Tully. "Hitch, get on the 30!"**

 **As one of the halftracks got close enough to flank them, Moffitt lobbed a grenade into it. After the explosion, the smoldering hulk of metal slowed to a stop and nothing moved inside.**

 **Hitch easily shot 30 caliber slugs into a second halftrack, effectively destroying the engine. The third stopped to pick up the stranded men and headed for home.**

 **#################**

 **Tully didn't slow down until they were safely hidden in a waterhole. As they all got out of the halftrack, Troy said, "Hitch, you're on watch. Tully, make sure this halftrack will get us home."**

 **Moffitt found a med kit and said, "It's time to properly take care of your fingers."**

 **As Moffitt carefully cleaned and bandaged Troy's fingers, Troy began to ask Schulze some questions to take his mind off the pain. "So why did you decide to defect?"**

 **Schulze sighed. "I've been watching Colonel Lehmann and Captain Fuchs torture and murder men for many months. Call me a…" He tried to think of the word he wanted in English, but finally said, "Feigling, but I could not continue."**

 **Moffitt said, "I wouldn't call you a coward, Abel. I would, however, call you human. What you did to help us was very brave and we're grateful."**

 **Troy grimaced as he said, "It will definitely be mentioned in our reports." He gave the young private a hard look. "How old are you?"**

 **Schulze said, "I just turned twenty last month. This is not where I expected to be after I finished school."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "And where did you expect to be?"**

" **I had planned to continue my studies. I was hoping to become a certified public accountant."**

" **Are you good at math?"**

 **Schulze smiled. "I like numbers. My math and accounting classes were always my favorite."**

 **Moffitt finished the bandaging as Troy said, "Well, the war can't last forever."**

" **Do you think, when I am released from the POW camp, that I could finish my studies?"**

 **Moffitt said, "No reason why not. Would you want to go to university in England or America?"**

" **Why not in Germany?"**

 **Troy replied, "You're a deserter. Even after the war, it'll be hard for you to go back to Germany."**

 **Schulze sighed. "I suppose you are right. In that case I think I would like to finish school in America, as far from this place as possible."**

 **Tully appeared after checking over the halftrack. "You'll need a sponsor. You should look me up when the war is over."**

" **You would do that for me?"**

" **Sure. None of this is your fault and you did help us out of that jam back there. I'll make sure you get my address before they ship you out."**

 **Hitch showed up and said, "Looks like they're still after us, sarge. There's a scout column coming this way."**

 **Troy said, "Is our ride ready, Tully?"**

" **All set to go."**

 **Troy stood up and looked at Schulze. "If you want to change your mind, this is your last chance. That column can pick you up and take you back to your base. You can tell them we forced you to help us."**

 **Schulze shook his head. "If I may confess, there is nothing for me back there but trouble now.** **Colonel Lehmann would never trust me again.** **I am ready to get out of this war and eventually start anew."**

 **Troy nodded. "Okay then, let's shake it."**


End file.
